Italy Passes Landmark Femicide Law With Unanimous Parliament Support

Italy has taken a decisive step as lawmakers in the lower house approved a new criminal provision that defines the killing of women for misogynistic motives as femicide. The punishment is life in prison. The vote was unanimous, a rare outcome in Italian politics, and it took place on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

The move follows years of rising concern after the Interior Ministry reported that seventy three women were murdered in the first nine months of the year. More than half were killed by a current or former partner.

The death of twenty-two-year-old Giulia Cecchettin pushed the country toward this point. She was stabbed in November 2023 by her ex-boyfriend, who then attempted to hide her body. Her sister’s blunt remarks on patriarchal attitudes triggered national protests.

People gathered across major cities and shook their house keys to highlight the danger many women face inside their own homes. Her killer has already received a life sentence yet her case forced Italy to confront a wider pattern.

Institutional Backing and Ongoing National Debate

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni backed the legislation and her coalition supported it while opposition lawmakers also voted in favor. Many wore red to honour victims and argued that Italy had ignored the deeper roots of violence for too long.

The law defines femicide as a murder driven by hatred, discrimination, control, domination or possession. It also applies when a woman is killed for choosing to leave a relationship or when her freedoms are restricted. The crime will now be counted separately in national statistics.

Italy joins Cyprus, Malta and Croatia along with several other countries that have adopted similar provisions. Judges such as Paola di Nicola who helped draft the law argue that naming the crime forces institutions to face its real causes.

Her research revealed consistent patterns linked to hierarchy and cultural norms disguised as affection or jealousy. She believes the law reveals the true motive behind these murders and that greater awareness can shift the national conversation.

Families of victims stress the need for education as much as punishment. Giulia’s father created a foundation in her name and travels to schools to speak with young people about respect and emotional development. He argues that prevention depends on better tools for adolescents.

Efforts to make sex and relationship education mandatory have met strong resistance from far right lawmakers. Critics such as professor Valeria Torre maintain that the law is broad and difficult to apply. They say Italy needs stronger economic support for women, greater equality in the labour market and better trained police and prosecutors.

Campaigners repeat those concerns. Italy ranks poorly on gender equality and activists argue that violence grows from deep social and economic imbalances.

Exhibitions like the Museum of the Patriarchy in Rome aim to confront these realities and show daily forms of harassment. They remind visitors that femicide is the final point of a long chain. Even supporters admit that no law can fix such a chain on its own.

Still, the parliamentary session ended with applause and lawmakers agreed that the country can no longer look away. The law sends a clear message of condemnation. Many warn that Italy has a long path ahead yet they note that real discussion has finally begun.